


Julie and the Phantoms: The Band Lives On

by JukePhantoms1124



Series: The Band Lives On [2]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Julie and the phantoms - Freeform, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:40:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26531536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JukePhantoms1124/pseuds/JukePhantoms1124
Summary: Julie finally tells the truth about the band to her family.
Relationships: Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Series: The Band Lives On [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1929313
Comments: 24
Kudos: 657





	Julie and the Phantoms: The Band Lives On

“Daaad!” Carlos exclaimed as he bounced on his toes. “Come ON! It’s been ten minutes!”

Ray chuckled as he rinsed off the frying pan he used to cook the eggs and bacon they had this morning. “Relax, kiddo…let me just finish this so I won’t have to worry about it later…here, come dry this…I’ll be faster with some help.”

He sighed as he reluctantly dragged his feet. “Okaaay.” He caught the rag his dad threw him before it hit his face and then began to dry while his dad started loading the dishwasher. “Do you think they’ll like me?”

Ray looked down at his youngest. “Of course they’ll like you, bud…what’s not to like? You’re pretty awesome.” 

He shrugged his little shoulders. “I guess, but…I’m not a cool musician or anything…I can’t play any instruments.”

Ray shut off the water and tossed a rag over his shoulder. “Do you want to learn how to play any instruments?”

He made a face. “Well…not really…I mean, I love listening to music and Julie’s band is awesome, but…I’d rather be outside playing baseball.”

Ray gave an affirming nod as he snagged the pan Carlos just dried to put it away. “That’s right…and you know how to throw a killer curve ball, too.” He turned back towards him after shutting the cabinet. “I think the guys would think that was pretty cool.”

Carlos grinned. “You think so?”

“You bet…and maybe they’ll even throw the ball with you outside sometime.”

Carlos widened his eyes. “Ummm…I don’t know if that’s really possible.”

Ray frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Wow, Dad…we’re really late…we better, get going!” He grabbed his wrist and tugged him towards the backdoor. “Let’s go!”

Ray knew when his son was avoiding something, but he decided to let it go and let himself be dragged outside. “All right, all right…easy on the grip, Carlos.”

When they got to the garage, the door was slid almost closed, but as Carlos gave the door a tap, he had a second to see Julie through the cracks…looking up slightly with a smile on her face. She turned when they came in and offered them her smile…the kind of smile that always warmed his heart. His baby girl was happy.

“Hi,” she said, her voice slightly edged with nerves. 

“Hey.” He gave the studio a quick glance over. “Are the guys running late?”

Julie cocked her head to the side the way she always did when she wasn’t sure what to say. “Um…no, not really…just…take a seat.” She guided him over to the leather couch, motioned Carlos to do as well.

Julie took a sheet in the chair by the couch and then grabbed her closed laptop and hugged it to her chest. “Before you meet the guys…there’s a few things you need to know, first.”

“There’s more to it…isn’t there? They aren’t just holograms…are they?”

She slowly shook her head. “No…they aren’t just holograms.”

Although he had always passed it off as not understanding the technology, making jokes of how old he was and such…he always knew deep down there was more going on…and that Julie was holding something back. He never thought of it as her lying to him…it was just something she hadn’t been ready to share. Until now it seemed.

“Okay,” he finally answered slowly as he tried his best to sound gentle and reassuring. “Go on, then…you can tell me anything.”

“The guys…they were in a band before they met me…and they were _really_ good.” 

Ray watched her pause for a moment and pressed her lips tightly as if she were trying not to smile, but then cleared her throat and continued. “They were going to be big and…they even had a gig at the Orpheum, but…well…they never made it on stage.”

She took a deep breath and opened her laptop before giving it to him. “I need you to read this article…and pay attention to the date.”

Ray settled it on his lap and tilted it a bit so Carlos could see, but he moved it back over to him. “It’s okay,” he said. “I’ve already read it.”

Ray watched him share a look of understanding with his sister and realized Carlos knew more than he let on. “Go ahead, dad,” he said giving him a pat on his shoulder. “Read it.”

He still didn’t know where exactly this was going, but since he trusted his kids explicitly, he did as he was told and began to read.

**SUNSET CURVE: A HOLLYWOOD TRAGEDY**

July, 29th 1995

When he read the date his heart twitched in his chest and just like that…he knew what she was trying to say…what the holograms really were. He glanced up at his daughter who had slowly gotten back up on her feet…giving him a little nod to encourage him to keep going. He took a deep breath and continued…

_Last week the music industry lost an up and coming band that would have taken the world by storm and topped the charts. Sunset Curve was a local band out of Hollywood having sold out its showcase. Unfortunately, the band never made it on stage. Three of its members, Luke, Alex and Reggie, tragically died when they ate bad street dogs. It was supposed to be their biggest night, opening live at the Orpheum Theater on the Sunset Strip. They were only seventeen._

He took a moment to study the picture that was below and took in a shaky breath as he recognized three of the four guys on the screen. The blonde…who was always jamming a perfect beat behind his drums. The boy with the slicked back dark hair who played the bass with a goofy grin on his face. And then the guy up with the dark brown hair who shared lead with Julie…he had always noticed the way they had stared at her when they performed. As a dad…he had always been a little thankful that he was a hologram, but now…now it broke his heart.

They were closed to his age when they died and even recalled hearing about this band before. It had been so long that he had forgotten…he never got to hear them play, but he remembered his wife saying something about them. How talented they were…how incredibly sad they never got to share their music.

Those poor boys, he thought as he placed a hand over his mouth, trying to hold back the emotions. And their parents…he couldn’t imagine what they had gone through…if he had ever lost his kids…he didn’t even want to think about it. He reached up to cover Carlos’ hand that was still on his shoulder as he finished the last of the article.

Julie tried not to pace as she watched her dad begin to read…she wasn’t sure if this was the way to tell him, but…she just wanted to approach it a little bit gentler with him. Blurting out that they’re ghosts and then making him watch them play while he snooped around for a projector that wasn’t there…just didn’t seem like the way to go.

The plan was to let him read the article…answer any questions or try to talk through any logical theories he may come up with. She wasn’t planning on believing right away, but…baby steps.

She felt a warm touch on her left shoulder and immediately lifted her right hand to cover it and knew it belonged to Luke. Reggie came up to her other side and slid a comforting arm around her while Alex came up from behind and rested his chin on the top of her head.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, taking in the comfort her boys gave her. When she opened them, she saw her dad looking up, his eyes filled with a shimmer of tears as he slowly closed the laptop. “Dad?”

“Those poor kids,” he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. 

Julie did a quick glance with the guys, noticing the confusion and awe on their faces while they watched her dad overcome with sadness…for them. She gave Luke’s hand a gentle squeeze before leaving the guys and kneeling in front of her dad, placing a hand on his knee. “Dad…are you okay? I didn’t mean…I’m sorry if I upset you.”

“No…no it’s okay,” he said as he took her hand and then lean back to pull his son to his side. “It’s just a little…overwhelming…”

“I know,” she said, still trying to feel him out. 

“So…they’re what? Angels?”

She heard all three guys snorting out a laugh, but then stifled it when Julie gave them a look. “In a sense,” she said turning back to his dad. “But more like ghosts.”

His eyes flickered in recollection and straightened slightly. “That night…when you came running out of the garage…screaming like you’ve seen a…”

“Ghost,” she finished with a smile. “Three of them…it was the first night they appeared…after I found their CD in the attic.”

“But…how are they back?”

She shook her head. “We don’t really know, but…wait…” She held up her hand. “Are you saying you believe me…believe us…that they’re really ghosts and not holograms?”

He let out a laugh. “Well, of course I believe you, honey…why would you make something up like that? And I read the article…the proof is right there…I mean, I still don’t understand a lot of it…”

“Neither do we,” Alex said.

“But it actually makes better sense than holograms…as strange as that is.”

Julie let out a laugh as all the tension and nerves flooded from her. “I’m so relieved, I…I had this whole plan…I thought we would eventually have to play for you to realize…”

“Oh, I still want to hear you guys play…I still have to officially meet the guys.”

She grinned as she wiped away a happy tear and glanced over at the boys to see them smiling as well, with Alex in the middle…his arms around Luke and Reggie’s neck. “They want to officially meet you, too…” She looked at Carlos. “Both of you.”

“Yeah!” Carlos exclaimed as he jumped up on the couch to do a little dance. “Let’s get this party started!”

Julie laughed as she stood up. “Any requests?”

Her dad wiped away another stray tear. “It doesn’t matter…I love them all.”

Alex knuckled away his own tear. Okay,” he said with a sniffle. “Dad officially counts.”

Luke laughed and Reggie playfully punched Alex on the shoulder. “Yeah, he does!”


End file.
